Airplane wheel



C. HOLLERITH AIRPLANE WHEEL May 12, 1942. 2,282,359

Filed Aug. 8, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 @M 3W VL May 12, 1942. l c. HOLLERITH 2,282,359

AIRPLANE WHEEL Filed Aug. 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CHA RLEE H DLLERJ TH SM, K

Patented May 12, 1942 AIRPLANE WHEEL charles Houen'ui, Jackson, Mich., assigner to' Hayes Industries, Inc., Jackson, Mich., a. corporation of Michigan Apucation August s, 1940, serial No. 351,852

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to wheels for airplanes and more particularly to wheels arranged to have the internal. recesses thereof sealed against the entrance of water from the exterior thereof and to maintain the internal recesses at ,the pressure of the outside atmosphere regardless of the elevation of the airplanes.

Attempts have been made to prevent the entry of water into the wheels and particularly those used on amphibian airplanes for the water not only interferes with the operation of the brakes which are housed within the wheels, but also its presence within the wheels is undesirable for other reasons including the unbalancing of the wheels when rotating at high rates of speed and its damage to bearing structures.

Previous attempts have been made to prevent the entrance of water by sealing` the wheels.

Practically,fit` is very difficult to obtain a complete sealing due to the changing atmospheric pressures as the airplane ascends and descends. Should air under relativelyhigher pressure Within a wheel escape while an amphibian airplane is at an elevated position as it sometimes does, when the airplane alights on water and the wheels are submerged, the then relatively higher outside pressure will force water into the wheel. The same problem might be encountered with land planes should there be an excess amount of surface Water on a landing eld. According to the present invention Wheels are sealed but the interior recesses of the wheels are maintained at the pressure of the atmosphere outside the wheels by breather connections terminating above all normal water levels or within the body of the airplane. The result of this arrangement is to reduce the strain on the sealing means resulting from varying relative inside and outside wheel pressures, and thus to reduce the likelihood of the leakage of water into the Wheels.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sealed hollow wheel arranged to maintain the pressures inside and outside of the wheel the same.

. Another object of the-invention is to provide a sealed hollow wheel for airplanes having a breather connection communicating with the interior of the wheel Aand terminating above the normal water level or within the body of the airplane to maintain equal inside and outside wheel pressures.

These and other objects residing in the arrangement, combination and construction of the parts will be apparent from the following speciflcation when taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an airplane wheel equipped with the breather according to the present invention, and A Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the reference character I indicates an axle suitably se,- cured in a portion of the frame 2 of an airplane. The frame 2 is provided with a flange 3 secured by screws 4 to a flange 5 ol a sleeve E disposed about the projecting portion ofthe axle I. sleeve 6 has supported thereon through inner and outer Abearings 'I andv B respectively, a wheel 9 consisting of halves I0 and I I having overlapping and abutting portions I2 and clamped together by bolts I3. The halves I0 andrII are provided with suitable reinforcing Webs I4.

The sleeve 6 is provided with a shoulder 20 for limiting inward movement of the inner bearing 1. The sleeve 6 is also provided with a shoulder 2I for limiting inward movement of the outer bearing 3. A nut 22 threaded on the outer en d of the sleeve 6 clamps the bearingsl and 8 on the sleeve 6, the clamping of the bearing 1 being through the Wheel 9 and the shoulders 23 and 24 thereon. A nut 25 threaded on the outer end of the axle I additionally serves to maintain the axle I and wheel 9 in assembled relation.'

The wheel 9 is provided with two internal annular opposed surfaces 26 against which are suitably supported annular braking rings 21 which may be of cast steel or some other suitable material. For cooperation'with the braking rings 21 are brake shoes 28 supported on the outer end of resilient annular plates 29. The plates 29 are separated by an annular ring 30 and are clamped together by annular rings 3| and a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts 32 projecting through the annular rings 3|, the plates 29 and the annular ring 30. The annular rings 3|, the plates 29 and the annular ring 30 are splined on an annular boss 33 comprising an integral part of the sleeve 6.

For urging the brake shoes 28 into contact with the braking ring 21 there is provided an annular The' is admitted under pressure into the tube 34, the tube'34 expands and`urges the brake shoes `28 against the braking rings 21 to brake therwheel. Annularrheat insulating pads 3l are disposed between the tube 34 and the plates 29 Vto prevent heat from the brake shoes 28, generated during braking, from-damaging the tube 34.V As shown particularly in Fig. 1, the resilient plates 29 have connected therebetween, adjacent their 'peripheries, a plurality of circumferentially spaced helical springs 40, for the purpose of drawing the plates 29 resiliently together so that when pres- -sure in the tube 34 is released the brake shoes28 will be drawn from contact with the braking Y rings 21.

The interior chamber 4l within which the v brake structure is housed is sealed to preventthe entrance of water thereinto. ',Ihe bearinglis provided on opposite sides thereof with annular grease seals 42 which bear against an annular seat 43 on the sleevefS, the seat 43 also havinga on the airplane or within the body thereof. The effect of the breather tube 56 and the conduit 55 is to maintain the pressure within the chamber 4I equal to Vthat of the outside atmosphere in which the wheel is disposed. YThebreather tube 56 not only has the effect of preventing a reduced pressure within the wheel at elevated levels which upon descent to the water would tend to draw water into the interior off the wheel, but also prevents strain on thezsealing meansV employed to seal the interior of the wheel thereby prolonging their lives and reducing the tendency to leakage thereby. By the employment of the: Y breatherl tube 56 it has been found that rugged sealingY structures for keeping out water may be for the mostpart omitted and the load for water sealing placed on grease seals.

portion serving as a seat for the bearing 1. Y The bearing 8 is provided with anV annular grease seal 44 which seats onan annular ring 45'o'n the sleeve 6. The grease seal 44 is on the inside of the bearing 8, the'outside of the bearing 8 being sealed'from'the exterior by a cap 46 clamped to the wheel 9 by screws L4". A gasket 48 is disposed vbetween the cap 46Vand1whe'el 9. A conventionalffairing 49 covers the outside Aof the Y wheel 9 and the cap'46 and' is secured to the wheel 9 by some conventional securing means. In order to prevent the leakage of' water between the sleeve 6 andthe axle l, Vthere is'provided between the flanges .3 and 5 a sealing ring 52 and between ,the'axle land vthe sleeve 6 is provided .a sealing ring 53. ,Y The sealing rings 52 and 53 and the grease seals 42 and 44 may'berconstructed if desiredrom Yan .artificial rubber compound impervious tor oils. The wheel 9 has about the base ofthe felly an asbestos pad 54 for preventing the passage of heat from the brake mechanism to'the tire (notshown). Thepad 54 with 1 the tireserve to seal the joint formed by the portions I2. n v

Providing communication between the chamber 4I and the exterior of the wheel 9 is a conduit 55 within Ythe. sleeve 6 and therlange 5.,y A

breather tube 56 'has'one end thereof ,connected l tothe outer end of vthe conduit 55' and thev other end thereof connected to a frame portion-*5 1 of the airplane with whichthe wheel Y9 is associated, by a clamp 68, above allnormal water levels For'the Vpurpose of draining out any water which Vmay have leaked into the chamber 4l there is provided adjacent the outer periphery of the chamber 4| a drain'plug 59.

While the invention has been described as associated'with one particular form of wheel, it

vwill b'e understood that it may be associated with any :type of v wheel having a` hollow interior whether the wheel is for useIlon-an amphibian airplane, land'airplane or otherwise.V iAccordscope of the following claims.

vI claim:v i y1. Inan airplane, a terior housing brake structure or the like, means sealing said interior againstthe entranceof waingly, I do Vnot wish rtov be limited except by the ter, and a vent comprising/conduitmeans providing a freecommunicatlon between Vthe inr-y terior of said wheeland a position'ron said airf plane abovethe level-reached byV-wateriunder normal conditions of use for maintaining the pressure in said interior equalgto that outside of the airplane. Y, l.

2. In an airplane, a wheel having a hollow in,- terior housing brakel structure or the like, a hub for said wheel, an axle projecting through said h ub, bearings mountingsaid wheel onsaid axle, means associated with said wheel .sealing said interior against the entrance of water, and a vent comprising conduit meansproviding a free communication between the interior .of said wheel and a position on said airplane above the level reached by water under normal conditions o f use for maintaining the pressure in said interior equal to that outside of the airplane.

` ACHARLES HOLLERITH. Y

wheel having ahollow in- 

